The National Mall in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Sunﬂower • Wádxaweew (wah-ha-way-oh)

By Devry Becker Jones, November 14, 2017

1. Sunflower - Wádxaweew (wah-ha-way-oh) Marker

Inscription. First cultivated by Native peoples in the Southwest nearly 3,000 years ago, the sunflower has become one of the most well-known and highly prized plants across the world.

The Hidatsa, who live in present-day North Dakota, cultivated several varieties of sunflowers, drying the seeds for grinding into a paste, adding to flour to form cakes, and eating the seeds whole as a fiber-rich snack. They also extracted oil from the seeds for hair tonic, and used the root as a poultice for bruises, sores, and snakebites.

Do you know why this plant is called a sunflower? True to its name, the sunflower follows the track of the sun across the sky. The shaded side of the stem grows faster than the sunlit side, causing it to bend toward the sun.

Erected by Smithsonian Institution.

Location. 38° 53.288′ N, 77° 0.975′ W. Marker is in The National Mall, District of Columbia, in Washington. Marker can be reached from Maryland Avenue Southwest. Touch for map. On the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian. Marker is in this post office area: Washington DC 20024, United States of America.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2018. This page originally submitted on November 14, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 65 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on February 10, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Silver Spring, Maryland. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 14, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.